Fire Tax to be Discussed

The Los Osos Community Services District Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9 at Sea Pines Golf Resort’s meeting room, 1945 Solano St., in Los Osos. On the menu is an item to determine the exact amount property owners will be charged for fire services for the next fiscal year (2015-16).
Cal Fire Sta. 15 South Bay (formerly known as the South Bay Fire Department) provides fire protection services, paramedic rescue, emergency medical aid, hazardous materials responses and “other services relating to the protection of lives and property…” according to the special meeting notice the CSD put out.
The tax rate on property is fixed but has an inflationary clause, so the amount being raised this time around is pretty small. Starting July 1, the annual charge will be raised 26-cents bringing the fee to $15.76 for every $100,000 of value in a property. So a property assessed at $1 million would pay $1,576 a year.
Los Osos has had a fire station for many decades under the County Fire Department. When the CSD was formed in the late 1990s, the department fell under the new agency, which took over responsibility from the County for the fie department, as well as the water system, several lighting districts as well as a pair of neighborhood septic systems. In October 2004, the CSD contracted with Cal Fire/County Fire to once again staff and manage the department.
A Battalion Chief, Phil Veneris, oversees the day-to-day operations on site, and County Fire Chief Bob Lewin is the actual commander for this and other County Fire stations across SLO County.
The permanent Sta. 15 staff includes a battalion chief, three captain/paramedics and four engineer/paramedics. These full time employees are supplemented with a reserve force that has about 25 members at a given time, and some student firefighters, as well.